søndag 18. september 2016

It is about rejoicing

NORSKFor a couple of days I have focused on the burden of a suffering world and of God’s presence. Some will may be question that I label God’s presence and glory as a burden, but it has biblical origin:

For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.2 Cor 4:17

Paul is literally writing about a “burden of glory” (1). This burden is noticeable when we walk together with him even on this side of eternity. Therefore, we do not only take part in his pain, but also in his rejoicing and singing:

The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.Zeph 3:17

God is not only a god who suffers with us. He rejoices both over us and with us, and we with him. This is also part of the true way of holiness. If joy, rejoicing and singing are not parts of holiness, holiness is just a concept at not any longer holiness. Such 'holiness' has removed itself from both God and the world, and therefore broken away from the ‘other’ trinity, and has become nothing but a pious ritual.

‘Manna’ for today:

Holiness is also about rejoicing!

----------------------- (1) Greek: baros doxes (βάρος δόξης) – the same word for burden is used several times in NT e.g. like in the parable about the workers in the vineyard who complained: “(We) have borne the burden of the work…”Matt 20:12